Last night, I sat down and went through a box of my old writing. My original intention in doing so was to find an old (and I mean OLD) poem I wrote about my high school art teacher. I didn't find the poem, but I found everything else: short stories written for college writing classes, poems penned during dark times, story ideas jotted down for later writing, lists of possible character names, quotes about writing, old college research papers, etc. etc.
Some of the writing made me cringe. Did I write THAT?! But some stuff nearly brought me to tears. Did I write that?
So I decided to really go through that old box of writing, to pull out the gems and create a pseudo writing portfolio to occasionally visit to remind myself that I do have a smidgen of talent, even if I don't have the routine and stamina of a "real" writer.
I'm also pulling out some of those story ideas that were never written. Some of them have a lot of potential. And this year, if you recall, is the year I write 25 things. Perhaps some of the 25 things are in that box!
I tell you all this in order to remind myself (as well as other wannabe writers out there) that we ARE writers. That just because we don't have novels on bookstore shelves, just because we don't have a long list of publishing creds, we do have some treasures among our paper piles. We have potential. We are beginners. And all "successful" writers were once, too, beginners.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Drowning in the Details
As I just mentioned in my previous post, I'm working on a historical piece. I've never attempted historical fiction before (well, I've written fantasy based in the Middle Ages, but I'm not counting that) so I found myself overwhelmed by the research part of the process.
When the kernel of the idea "popped" back in November, I set out to research the era in which I was going to set the novel. I checked out nearly every book in my library system that dealt with the Victorians. I searched websites and digital libraries. I took page after page of notes.
But then I stopped.
My story started writing itself, in a way. I just started writing the scenes as they came to me (see previous post on this). I knew enough about the era to not make any blatantly obvious mistakes, so I just wrote.
Over the course of the writing, I've tried to go back to continue the research. However, I've found that it's far too easy to drown yourself in the details. As writers, we're perfectionists. I want my story to be historically accurate, right down the street names of the town in which the story takes place (Wilmington, North Carolina). But worrying about such things overwhelms me, stifles me, makes me doubt that I can do this.
So I'm stopping. As with my story, which is emerging "pop by pop", I'm going to do the research as it needs to be done. If something emerges in a scene that needs to be researched, I'll dig out the pile of books. But I'm going to save the fact checking, the tiny historical details that add authenticity, for the end. For the second draft.
As I've mentioned before, I've never written a historical novel before. And I've never used this writing process before. I've also never used this research method before. And yet, it's all working. I'm not drowning myself in the details, and so, the passion of the story has stuck with me.
Do you have a similar story? Have you ever found yourself focusing so much on the little things that you end up taking your eye off the target? Have you ever drowned yourself in the details?
When the kernel of the idea "popped" back in November, I set out to research the era in which I was going to set the novel. I checked out nearly every book in my library system that dealt with the Victorians. I searched websites and digital libraries. I took page after page of notes.
But then I stopped.
My story started writing itself, in a way. I just started writing the scenes as they came to me (see previous post on this). I knew enough about the era to not make any blatantly obvious mistakes, so I just wrote.
Over the course of the writing, I've tried to go back to continue the research. However, I've found that it's far too easy to drown yourself in the details. As writers, we're perfectionists. I want my story to be historically accurate, right down the street names of the town in which the story takes place (Wilmington, North Carolina). But worrying about such things overwhelms me, stifles me, makes me doubt that I can do this.
So I'm stopping. As with my story, which is emerging "pop by pop", I'm going to do the research as it needs to be done. If something emerges in a scene that needs to be researched, I'll dig out the pile of books. But I'm going to save the fact checking, the tiny historical details that add authenticity, for the end. For the second draft.
As I've mentioned before, I've never written a historical novel before. And I've never used this writing process before. I've also never used this research method before. And yet, it's all working. I'm not drowning myself in the details, and so, the passion of the story has stuck with me.
Do you have a similar story? Have you ever found yourself focusing so much on the little things that you end up taking your eye off the target? Have you ever drowned yourself in the details?
Pop By Pop
I'm currently working on a historical novel set in the late 19th century. It's a story that first came to me years ago, but it was just a kernel of an idea then. A kernel that stuck with me. Then, this past November, a fellow writer and I were talking about her novel-in-progress--a Gothic piece set in the Victorian era--and that's when it hit me: my idea, my "kernel", needed to be set in the 19th century.
And from there, my kernel became an entire bag of popcorn--the initial idea "popped", setting of a domino effect. Before I knew it, I had a story. A story that's being written pop-by-pop.
As an image/scene comes to me, I write it down. Sometimes, I write the entire scene. Other times, I just write a summary and then write the scene later. Sometimes, I don't even know what's going to happen in the scene--I just write and see what emerges. It's almost as if my narrator is standing on my shoulder, telling me what to write. At times I feel like this isn't even my story, that I'm just a conduit for my narrator.
I've never written in this way before--pop by pop, waiting to see what emerges. In all my past writing endeavors, I painstakingly plotted my story. I would start with the initial idea, then dive into my characters' lives. From there, I would come up with the entire story, starting at the very beginning and plotting along chronologically. This never worked out--I always gave up mid-story, so bored with my original idea that I just couldn't stand to be with it anymore.
This new method of writing is one I have heard about before, from other writers. I was just always too afraid to try it myself. I'm a librarian, after all--I like order (to an extent) and so that's how I tried to write. But this pop-by-pop way of doing it seems to be working better--I've written more and I'm not bored with the idea.
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever stumbled into a way of doing something that ended up working out great? A way you never tried before?
And from there, my kernel became an entire bag of popcorn--the initial idea "popped", setting of a domino effect. Before I knew it, I had a story. A story that's being written pop-by-pop.
As an image/scene comes to me, I write it down. Sometimes, I write the entire scene. Other times, I just write a summary and then write the scene later. Sometimes, I don't even know what's going to happen in the scene--I just write and see what emerges. It's almost as if my narrator is standing on my shoulder, telling me what to write. At times I feel like this isn't even my story, that I'm just a conduit for my narrator.
I've never written in this way before--pop by pop, waiting to see what emerges. In all my past writing endeavors, I painstakingly plotted my story. I would start with the initial idea, then dive into my characters' lives. From there, I would come up with the entire story, starting at the very beginning and plotting along chronologically. This never worked out--I always gave up mid-story, so bored with my original idea that I just couldn't stand to be with it anymore.
This new method of writing is one I have heard about before, from other writers. I was just always too afraid to try it myself. I'm a librarian, after all--I like order (to an extent) and so that's how I tried to write. But this pop-by-pop way of doing it seems to be working better--I've written more and I'm not bored with the idea.
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever stumbled into a way of doing something that ended up working out great? A way you never tried before?
Monday, January 11, 2010
Brag On, Brag On
I'm a member of SheWrites, which, as I've mentioned before, is a great online community for female writers (and the occasional male writer that doesn't like being left out of things...but don't get me started on that). Anyway, let me start off by saying that SheWrites is awesome--it's exactly the type of online writer community that I've been looking for.
However, now that I'm a part of a writer community, I've noticed something: Writers like to brag. A lot.
It only took a couple of visits to blogs, group discussion boards, and individual member pages to realize that the some writers like to brag about their accomplishments at every given opportunity. And if they're not bragging, there's a distinct tone of superiority in their words.
Now, don't get me wrong. Writers who have actually written a novel and gotten it published deserve bragging rights. It's a major accomplishment! I know I'll want the world to know about my book if it ever gets published. I'll certainly be advertising it on certain media outlets. But shamelessly self-promoting to other writers seems pointless to me. It just seems to create a community of competition--which can sometimes be discouraging to those who are just starting out.
Perhaps I'm just the type that likes to see the glass half-empty. Other people's good news can sometimes discourage me, make me doubt myself. So, instead, I like to hear about a writer's process, about the story behind their story, about the daily life of the writer, about how they got to where they're at. I don't want to be constantly reading advertisements for all their books or constantly hearing about all their writerly accomplishments. I want to hear about them--their lives, their craft, their experiences, etc.
Has anyone else noticed this? Anyone have any theories as to why? Or am I just the beginner that can't relate to the thrill of publication and thus doesn't understand?
However, now that I'm a part of a writer community, I've noticed something: Writers like to brag. A lot.
It only took a couple of visits to blogs, group discussion boards, and individual member pages to realize that the some writers like to brag about their accomplishments at every given opportunity. And if they're not bragging, there's a distinct tone of superiority in their words.
Now, don't get me wrong. Writers who have actually written a novel and gotten it published deserve bragging rights. It's a major accomplishment! I know I'll want the world to know about my book if it ever gets published. I'll certainly be advertising it on certain media outlets. But shamelessly self-promoting to other writers seems pointless to me. It just seems to create a community of competition--which can sometimes be discouraging to those who are just starting out.
Perhaps I'm just the type that likes to see the glass half-empty. Other people's good news can sometimes discourage me, make me doubt myself. So, instead, I like to hear about a writer's process, about the story behind their story, about the daily life of the writer, about how they got to where they're at. I don't want to be constantly reading advertisements for all their books or constantly hearing about all their writerly accomplishments. I want to hear about them--their lives, their craft, their experiences, etc.
Has anyone else noticed this? Anyone have any theories as to why? Or am I just the beginner that can't relate to the thrill of publication and thus doesn't understand?
Friday, January 8, 2010
The 25
"It takes 25 stories... to make one story that is good enough for someone else to read." --John Smolens, "There's No Such Thing as a Failed Story" Writer's Digest, February 2010.
I saw it written somewhere that a writer's success is proportional to their output. Simply stated: the more you write, the greater your chance at success. And that makes obvious sense. But John Smolens, professor of English at Northern Michigan University, elaborates on that theory in his article in this month's edition of Writer's Digest.
Basically, he states that only 1 story out of 25 will be "good". That you, the writer, must write at least 25 stories in order to produce a really good one. Now, those 25 don't have to be completed stories. They can be ideas that don't work out, false starts, and abandoned drafts. The point is that they were written. That you attempted them.
So that's what I'm going to do this year. As well as using my themes to propel my writing this year (see previous post), I'm going to make it a goal to write 25 stories. Now, like I just said, they won't all be finished stories. Rather, they are to be 25 attempts to write a single, good story. Some will be abandoned after the first page. Some after 5 pages. But that doesn't matter. The point is to keep going, to keep writing until that golden one uncovered.
How about you? I used to think I was a failure for having so many unfinished drafts, but it's obviously not an uncommon occurrence among writers. Do you have a lot of unfinished pieces? Ideas that don't work out? Have you found that the more you produce, the more publish?
I saw it written somewhere that a writer's success is proportional to their output. Simply stated: the more you write, the greater your chance at success. And that makes obvious sense. But John Smolens, professor of English at Northern Michigan University, elaborates on that theory in his article in this month's edition of Writer's Digest.
Basically, he states that only 1 story out of 25 will be "good". That you, the writer, must write at least 25 stories in order to produce a really good one. Now, those 25 don't have to be completed stories. They can be ideas that don't work out, false starts, and abandoned drafts. The point is that they were written. That you attempted them.
So that's what I'm going to do this year. As well as using my themes to propel my writing this year (see previous post), I'm going to make it a goal to write 25 stories. Now, like I just said, they won't all be finished stories. Rather, they are to be 25 attempts to write a single, good story. Some will be abandoned after the first page. Some after 5 pages. But that doesn't matter. The point is to keep going, to keep writing until that golden one uncovered.
How about you? I used to think I was a failure for having so many unfinished drafts, but it's obviously not an uncommon occurrence among writers. Do you have a lot of unfinished pieces? Ideas that don't work out? Have you found that the more you produce, the more publish?
Happy New Writing Year
I was reading some blog posts on SheWrites (a great social networking site for women writers) when I came across one woman writer that mentioned she's choosing a "theme" to live her year by. It's sort of like a goal or resolution, but in a broader sense. For instance, you could choose Love to be your theme, spending the year doing activities that bring more Love into your life and into the world.
I thought it sounded like a good idea, so I decided to adopt it for my New Writing Year. Rather than simply resolving to "write more," I'm going to have certain themes to write about. And since my current work-in-progress is related to religion, sex, and secrets, I've decided to make those three things my themes for this year.
So, I'm resolving (and you are all my witness) to use Religion, Sex, and Secrets as recurring themes throughout my writing year.
I'm hoping that by having themes, I'll have a focus. I'll have something to write about even when I feel empty of writing ideas. And it'll give my writing cohesion, a thread (in theory, anyway).
So here's to a New Writing Year! May my themes lead the way!
I thought it sounded like a good idea, so I decided to adopt it for my New Writing Year. Rather than simply resolving to "write more," I'm going to have certain themes to write about. And since my current work-in-progress is related to religion, sex, and secrets, I've decided to make those three things my themes for this year.
So, I'm resolving (and you are all my witness) to use Religion, Sex, and Secrets as recurring themes throughout my writing year.
I'm hoping that by having themes, I'll have a focus. I'll have something to write about even when I feel empty of writing ideas. And it'll give my writing cohesion, a thread (in theory, anyway).
So here's to a New Writing Year! May my themes lead the way!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Are Public Librarians Obsolete?
During grad school, I worked for a major book retailer for about a year. During that time, I answered more "reference" questions than I do now, working as an actual Reference Librarian for a public library. 95% of the questions I answer at the library are related to the computer lab: How do I log on? How do I print? Why isn't MySpace working? Etc. Etc. Rarely do I ever get a question that involves the actual hunting down of information.
So, I've started to wonder about my profession.
Public librarianship hasn't really changed that much over the decades. Sure, we now have online catalogs instead of card catalogs, and we have the World Wide Web at our fingertips to help us answer questions. But, in general, it hasn't changed. Or,rather, WE haven't changed.
Most of us librarians went into the library field because we love books and we love to read. So, it seems only expected that we'd thus resist the technology that seems so set on replacing our libraries and our jobs. But its our resistance that is actually doing more harm than good. We're like cave men stuck in a futuristic society, trying desperately to keep the rock from becoming a wheel.
I don't know exactly where I'm going with this. This wasn't a planned blog. Wasn't a topic I was pondering over for hours. It just sorta popped up and now I'm wondering just how important my job and I are to the public. Where is the library going? It obviously needs to change, but how?
So, I've started to wonder about my profession.
Public librarianship hasn't really changed that much over the decades. Sure, we now have online catalogs instead of card catalogs, and we have the World Wide Web at our fingertips to help us answer questions. But, in general, it hasn't changed. Or,rather, WE haven't changed.
Most of us librarians went into the library field because we love books and we love to read. So, it seems only expected that we'd thus resist the technology that seems so set on replacing our libraries and our jobs. But its our resistance that is actually doing more harm than good. We're like cave men stuck in a futuristic society, trying desperately to keep the rock from becoming a wheel.
I don't know exactly where I'm going with this. This wasn't a planned blog. Wasn't a topic I was pondering over for hours. It just sorta popped up and now I'm wondering just how important my job and I are to the public. Where is the library going? It obviously needs to change, but how?
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